Week 10: Minestrone

 

I love to make large pots of soup and freeze containers for lunches later on. By request this week I made minestrone. I can't wait for late summer though when I can buy fresh local ingredients for this! I took ideas from several recipes on Allrecipes.com. I chose what veggies I wanted and looked at several ways to make it before picking what I wanted.

 



Ingredients:

3 Tb olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (or three teaspoons from a pre-minced jar)
1.5 medium onions, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and thinly chopped
2 C chicken broth, low sodium
2 C water
3.5 C tomato sauce
1/2 C red wine
1.5 large handfuls of fresh green beans, blanched in boiling water
1 can kidney beans, drained
3 zucchinis, peeled and chopped in large pieces
2 handfuls (about 2 cups) rinsed baby spinach
1 Tb oregano
2 Tb basil
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped in large pieces
Box pasta of your choice
grated Parmesan cheese to top

To Make:

1.In a large stock pot, on med-lo heat heat oil and saute garlic 2-3 minutes. Add onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add carrots and saute another 1-2 minutes to start softening the carrots. 
2. Add broth, water, tomato sauce, red wine and bring to boil, stirring regularly so carrots don't burn.
3. Reduce to low, add kidney beans, green beans, potato, spinach, zucchini, oregano, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer covered for 30-40 minutes. The longer you can let it simmer the more flavorful it will be. 
4. In another pot, when sauce is almost done, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
5. When noodles and soup are done, add a serving of noodles to a bowl and pour soup mix over. Add Parmesan to taste and serve!

For storage, keep noodles and soup separate as the noodles will get soft sitting in the mixture. 

Week 9 #2: Pot Pie Casserole

For my brother and sister in law I also made a pot pie casserole that is gluten free.

Lily taking a nap with Auntie Suzanne.

Ingredients:

1 box quinoa pasta
1 can cream of chicken
small bag frozen vegetable mix
2 chicken breasts, cubed

To Make:

Following directions on the pasta box, cook the pasta to highly al dente (still a little hard.) Drain pasta and return to pot. In a separate pan, cook the chicken in a small amount of oil. In the noodle pot, add cream of chicken, vegetables, and chicken. Stir together and transfer to a casserole dish or glass pan. Bake on 350 for about half an hour or until heated through. 

With the moisture in the casserole the noodles will finish cooking. If they are too well cooked to start with they get over soft and mushy. Add vegetables to your tastes. I had about a quarter bag left, plus the remaining corn from the tortilla casserole. I also added the last spoonful of cream of mushroom from the tortilla casserole. Nice thing about casseroles is you can add pretty much anything!

Week 9: 8 Layer Taco Casserole

Baby Lily and I cuddling for the first time!

I actually had to opportunity to make two new recipes this week! My brother and sister in law welcomed their first baby, Lilian, on February 20th! To help out I went through my cupboards and made them two casseroles they could keep on hand to heat up this weekend as they adjust to life using one hand and going off less sleep than usual.

The first I made is a taco casserole.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground meat 
1/4 medium onion, chopped
4 oz tomato sauce
15 small corn tortillas
cream of mushroom soup
canned corn
taco seasoning
                                                                            cooking spray
                                                                            1/2 can re-fried beans
                                                                            1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

In a pan, brown the meat, onion, and seasonings. Spray the bottom of a 9x9 glass pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with broken tortillas. Layer on the beans and about 2 oz of the tomato sauce and a thin layer of cheese. Add another layer of tortillas, then the meat mixture (drain the meat), dab on several spoons of cream of mushroom, sprinkle on some corn, and another layer of cheese. Add the last layer of tortillas, the remaining tomato sauce, and a final layer of cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour or until heated through. 

I had to make mine without any spices or gluten for the new mama, but for the second pan I made to leave at home I seasoned the meat with cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, and a little cinnamon. We also added salsa, lettuce, and sour cream on top when we served it. 

These measurements are for one pan, double it for 2 pans.

 

Week 8: Fresh Corned Beef Hash

We love corned beef hash and usually eat it out of a can. This morning I got creative and made my own. It turned out really well and we will definitely be making it again!

Fresh Corned Beef Hash

Ingredients:
3 potatoes, chopped into small cubes (1/2 inch)
1/2 lb corned beef, shredded
1 Tbs oil
1 jalapeno, diced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 C diced bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste
4 eggs, prepared in your favorite fashion
2 cloves garlic

To make it:

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add potatoes. When the potatoes are mostly translucent, add onion and garlic. Cook for several minutes until the onion is translucent. Add corned beef, jalapeno, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the corned beef is darker in color and cooked through. Prepare your eggs to serve mixed in or on top of the hash. Add bell pepper, stir, and serve!

We like our bell peppers to have that fresh taste and crunch, so I added it last instead of cooking it in. That is another option, just add them at the same time as the jalapeno.

Week 7: Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

This recipe is from one of my many Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks. It was quite tasty, and I really didn't change much from the ingredients!

Pasta with Shrimp and Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp, tail and shell removed
1 pound fresh asparagus
8 oz dried linguini
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 medium roma tomatoes, coursely chopped
2 Tbs tomato paste
1/3 C dry white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp  pepper
1 Tbs butter or margarine
2 tbs fresh basil, chopped

Snap off and toss woody bases from the asparagus. Slice into 1-2 inch pieces. Cook pasta, drain, and return to pan. 

In a large skillet cook and stir 3 cloves of garlic in hot oil for 10-15 seconds. Add tomato and tomato paste, cook for about 3 minutes stirring regularly. Add the asparagus, wine, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 minutes.

In a separate small pan, heat up butter and one clove garlic. When butter has melted, add the shrimp. Cook until it is pink all the way through.

To serve, pour sauce over pasta and add the shrimp on top!

The shrimp could also be cooked in the sauce, just add it and simmer for 5-6 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked. I do not like shrimp but the rest of my house does so we made it on the side. 

Week 6: Spiced Beef Stew

I tore this recipe out of Womensday January magazine, though I didn't follow it exactly. Here is my version of it.

Spiced Beef Stew

Serves about 6

Ingredients
1 8 oz can of tomato sauce
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup water
salt and pepper
1 large onion, cut into pieces
2 pound beef chuck, trimmed and cut into cubes 
Flour
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 15 oz can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 large carrots, skinned and chopped
Rice or couscous to serve with

In the crock pot, whisk together tomato sauce, ginger, cumin, water, and cinnamon. Stir in onion pieces and carrots. Rub beef with salt and pepper, then toss with flour to coat. Add to crock pot. Add potatoes to the top of the meat, cover and cook 6-7 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Prior to serving, add chickpeas and prepare rice or couscous. Sprinkle with cilantro garnish.

It has a very good flavor to it, and with the added protein of the chickpeas and starch of the potatoes, I found myself full off a very small portion. I didn't have it with the rice, but others did. I wasn't able to be home and stir it at all, so the edges burned. I would recommend being able to stir once or twice during that time. The original recipe also called for butternut squash not potatoes. I would have done this, but the store was out so I made a substitution. I think I would like it better with the squash though. Next time!

One of my favorite things about a hearty beef stew is how well it freezes. The flavors sink in a little more and it makes a great lunch on cold days.

Week 5: Crab Cakes

I subscribe to My Daily Recipes.com, and this one came through. I don't particularly like crab, but others in my house do, so I took one for the team, and added extra cream cheese and cranberries to hide the flavor. I also added bread crumbs to the mix instead of making them as tarts.

Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
1 pound shredded crab
1 jar whole berry cranberry sauce
1 small container cream cheese, use at least 1/2 for binding, more if you like the flavor
green onions
salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
oil

In a bowl, combine crab, desired amount of cream cheese,  green onions, salt and pepper, and bread crumbs. Heat up oil in a large pan and drop cakes in, cooking for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown. Let sit on paper towels for a few minutes.. Drop a spoon full of cranberry sauce on top and serve. 

For a healthier option (which I did much to the chagrin of those I was feeding) the cakes can be baked at 375ºF for about 15-20 minutes. For this option, also put the cranberry sauce on before heating so it gets warm too.

I made my own bread crumbs by leaving out 4 pieces of bread that morning. You want it partially stale but not so dry it absorbs all the moisture from the crab cake mixture. I put the bread in the blender to make it into smaller pieces before mixing it in with every thing else.

Week 4: Cauliflower Pizza Crust

I've seen these recipes exploding all over Pinterest lately, but never found one that sounded quite like what I wanted. So I looked at several and made my own idea from those. It turned out really well, and has even been requested again already at my house!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Makes 4 personal pizza sized crusts

Ingredients:
2 cups of grated cauliflower
1 cup of grated Mozzarella
2 eggs
Small clump of chopped basil
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Preheat oven to 450 º F. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Separate into 4 clumps. Put on parchment paper lined cookie sheet and flatten to about 1/4 inch thick, in any shape you want. My turned out rectangular. Cook for about 15 minutes until turning golden in color. Remove and add desired toppings. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes to heat up ingredients.

More or less Mozzarella ca be used. We have a diary sensitivity in our house, so we use less than most of the recipes I saw called for. I found that the less cheese and the egg still held the crust together enough for transferring it from the pan to the plate. Though the red sauced "regular" pizza topping side of my pizza was good, I thought it went much better with the white sauce and chicken side I made. There is not a strong cauliflower taste either. Though do be warned, you can't pick this up to eat it, it has to be eaten with a fork, but it sure is yummy!

Spaghetti Sauce

Every summer and fall my mom and I do a lot of canning. We make salsa, pickles, tomatoes, peaches, pears, apple sauce, cranberry sauce, and whatever else we want to try that year. Though it is expensive to start up and involves the need of a lot of storage space, after the second or third year, the cost is so minimal you'll wonder why you never did it before!

The only thing I do with my tomatoes is make sauce. Every year I think I should just make giant pots of sauce to can, but I prefer to make it from scratch when I make spaghetti. There is just something satisfying about not adding all the ingredients and not just opening a can.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients: I use this amount to make sauce for 2-3 people. Double it for a family size.

1 jar/can of whole tomatoes, skin removed and juice mostly drained and smooshed to a chunky sauce consistency (I use my hand to do this)
1 can of tomato sauce
Italian spices of your liking. I use basil (fresh when I have it) parsley, marjoram, thyme, bay leaves
salt and pepper
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
ground meat of your choice (we use turkey or 93% lean ground beef)
oil

In a medium pan, cook the meat with the garlic and onion. Drain any fat.

Mean while, in a large sauce pan, carefully (tomatoes are slippery things when coming out of a jar/can) pour the smooshed tomatoes, tomato sauce; add the seasonings and salt and pepper. Simmer until the meat is ready to add. If you use bay leaves, remove before serving. When the meat is ready, add it to the sauce and stir together. Voila! Spaghetti sauce!

It takes a little extra prep time, but as far as cook time, it's no longer than a regular jar of tomato sauce. Plus, now you can season it how YOU want and make it match your tastes.

Week 3: Pasta Putaneska

Week 3 is also from a friend, and I again added to it based on what I had. This worked well since this is the "pasta of whores." Back in the day, these women would make the sauce using whatever they could find, so it's  a modge-podge of ingredients that you can always add to!

Pasta Putaneska

Ingredients:

1-4 anchovies (based on your taste)
1 jar tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic
Olives
Italian Seasoning
Pasta noodles of your liking
Cooked ground beef/turkey, or chicken
Oil

I make my own spaghetti sauce (see post "Spaghetti Sauce") but for the sake of this recipe, I just listed tomato sauce in the ingredients.

In a pan, heat 1 table spoon of oil. Add anchovies and cook until they disintegrate. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Add in the tomato sauce, seasonings, olives, and meat. Simmer for about 5 minutes until all the flavors mix. Serve over noodles. 

When I first made this, I only used 2 anchovies because I don't really like a fish flavor. Though I was hesitant to use it at all, it really did add just a little extra to the sauce flavor. I may even try three next time...

I had some chicken thawed that I had planned to use for another dish that I never cooked the night before, so I boiled it for about 25 minutes until it was cooked through, then pulled it apart with 2 forks to add to my sauce. With this sauce, anything goes, so try different things and let me know how it turned out :) Enjoy!

Week 2: Quick Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from a friend, and I believe it came from Betty Crocker originally though I have made a few changes to it  :)

Quick Pot Pies

Ingredients: 
1 sheet of puff pastry
1-2 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
2 cups frozen vegetable mix (carrots, peas, corn, etc.)
1 can condensed  cream of chicken
3/4 teaspoon thyme


Heat the oven to 400º F. In a bowl mix chicken, vegetables, thyme, and cream of chicken until everything is coated. If you like a creamier filling,  additional cream of chicken can be used. We prefer chunky fillings. 

With the puff pastry, roll out slightly and cut into large squares (to essentially make hand held pot pies.) Add a spoon full of filling and fold the pastry over, pressing all edges together. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet or parchment paper, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is a golden brown. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

I first tried these in custard cups, but the bottom of the pastry didn't bake correctly and stayed mooshy, so the pockets are a much better way to get the crispy all around! I found that it reheats for tasty lunch the next day too. Enjoy!

Week 1: Fish Tacos and Cilantro Lime Rice

This year I made a New Year's Resolution to try a new recipe every week. I'm a little behind on posting, but hoping to be more on top of it from now on!

Week 1: Fish Tacos

I adapted several recipes from allrecipes.com to suit my tastes and pantry.

Makes 6 tacos

Ingredients:
2 talapia fillets
1/2 Cup chicken broth (tequila can also be used)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Tablespoon of lime zest
small clump of crushed cilantro
salt and pepper
corn torillas
oil

Make a marinade using the broth, lime juice, zest, salt, pepper, and cilantro. Put the fish in the bag with this, and smash it up so it is no longer a fillet, but a crumbled mess. Let sit for about 15 minutes, then cook in a frying pan (here you could add any additional seasonings desired.)

While the fish is marinating and cooking, the shells can be made. We make our own by frying tortillas in oil. When the oil is nice and hot, grab the tortilla with tongs and place half of it in the oil. Let sit for 30 seconds to 1 minute (wheat tortillas fry faster than corn.) Then flip, holding the other side out of the oil. When it is all nice and crispy, stand on a paper towel lined tray to cool off.

I also made cilantro lime rice to go with it. If you don't like a limey flavor, adjust and use less. 

For 1 cup of dried rice:

I use a rice cooker, but on the stove would work too. With the water add the juice for 1 one small lime, or 1/2 of a giant lime and a few pinches of zest. Cook as you normally would. When it is done, stir in fresh cilantro.

Once the shells and fish are ready, so is your taco! Add what ever other toppings you like and enjoy!